Let's say you're interested in learning even more about HIIT. That's a great starting point for a research topic! But what about that topic are you interested in? How are you going to turn a vague, broad research topic into a research question? What kind of scholarly sources can you turn to in order to start doing academic research into the topic.
Topic selection is key to successful research! You want a topic that:
Having trouble coming up with a topic? Think about your personal experience or of people you know: any injuries or experience with training for sport? Or review the table of contents of a recent journal in the field to see what topics are being written about. Here's a few to get you started:
If you're new to a topic and still learning about it, try browsing subject encyclopedias to understand the major concepts and recent developments of a topic.
When coming up with your own topic, start with your line of inquiry, whether it's focused on a a population, a bodily system, an injury, a type of rehabilitation, an element of biomechanics, etc. Take 5 minutes and brainstorm aspects of that topic that interest, confuse, or intrigue you. Ask yourself: How does this work? Who does it affect? How can it be measured? What are the methods for studying it? What are possible outcomes? What is already known? What is unknown?
Creating a map of these subtopics will help you flesh out your topic, and help you identify search terms that you can use to narrow down your search results. Keep in mind that this map may include as many questions as it does ideas...after all, you haven't researched your topic yet! Also remember that you are not expected to address all of the subtopics in your work, nor would it be wise for you to try. You will likely focus on just one or two areas of your map for your final research.
Concept maps are a tool to help you:
Ask yourself: what do I already know about my topic? what am I curious about? what kind of data do I need, and where am I likely to find that data? Creating a map of these subtopics that will help you flesh out your topic. Keep in mind that this map may include as many questions as it does ideas...after all, you haven't researched your topic yet! Also remember that you are not expected to address all of the subtopics in your work, nor would it be wise for you to try. You will likely focus on just one or two areas of your map for your final research.
The process is simple: start with your big, broad topic in the middle of your page. It can be a population, a bodily system, an injury, a type of rehabilitation, an element of biomechanics, etc.
Jamboard is a Google product that you can log into with a personal or Puget Sound account at https://jamboard.google.com/. It works sort of like a virtual whiteboard. You can upload photos, or use the 'post it note' feature to make notes.
If you're interested in searching directly in a specific journal, you can copy and paste the name of that journal, and search for it in Primo to find out what coverage we have available through our library: http://primo.pugetsound.edu/
Exercise Physiology
Sport Psychology
Strength & Conditioning
Biomechanics
Sport Medicine
Health Promotion
Physical Education
Sport Leadership
